NCL Sailings past April, 2008?

[PaulfromPA]

Greetings everyone:

 

I have been thinking about taking an Alaska cruise with NCL in September of 2008. The "problem" is that NCL doesn't seem to be selling any cruises to any destination past April, 2008. I called NCL yesterday (oops, sorry, my mistake) and the "customer service" representative said she was sure I could book that far in advance on NCL's website. Well, guess what, as has happened before, the NCL rep gave me the WRONG information. :mad:

 

So, I figured I would ask the REAL experts: you guys! Based on your experience, inside information, or crystal balls, does anyone know when NCL will announce sailings and prices for the fall of 2008?

 

Thanks in advance! :)

 

- Paul

[Don Haynes]

The summer season is the most profitable for the cruise lines and they hold their cards close to their vests. Usually the cruise lines start posting the next summer's itineraries during late April to early June, many in the month of May.

 

It seems every year the cruise lines have almost two years of itineraries posted in late June and when April rolls around there is barely a year's worth of itineraries posted.

 

If you check NCL's brochures of the past several years, you'll notice that the itineraries end in April...... These brochures are usually printed and distributed starting in July.

 

It goes to show you that a outsourced customer service operation in Phoenix is a long ways from the corporate office in Miami.

[Holg]

It goes to show you that a outsourced customer service operation in Phoenix is a long ways from the corporate office in Miami.

 

Well, the distance would be much greater if customer service was based in India.

[PaulfromPA]

Thanks Don!

 

I appreciate your response. And I guess I will just hafta wait until this April or so to check on NCL's summer/fall 2008 offerings. Personally, I like booking far in advance, both to take advantage of early-bird deals and to get some "me time" on the calendar before someone else tries to claim it.

 

Just for the record, some cruise lines (like Carnival and Disney) are already selling that far in advance. So it seems that NCL is placing itself at a competitive disadvantage by holding off. Who knows, maybe someone from NCL will read this and start thinking about it! :rolleyes: Ah, hope springs eternal....

 

Thanks again,

 

Paul

[NCL_Cruiser]

The summer season is the most profitable for the cruise lines and they hold their cards close to their vests. Usually the cruise lines start posting the next summer's itineraries during late April to early June, many in the month of May.

 

It seems every year the cruise lines have almost two years of itineraries posted in late June and when April rolls around there is barely a year's worth of itineraries posted.

 

If you check NCL's brochures of the past several years, you'll notice that the itineraries end in April...... These brochures are usually printed and distributed starting in July.

 

It goes to show you that a outsourced customer service operation in Phoenix is a long ways from the corporate office in Miami.

 

Don:

 

The operations in Phoenix are not outsourced. We are NCL employees, we receive training and memos from our Miami office, and many of our agents are as high or higher caliber as the agents in Florida. The main issue is that many of the AZ agents do not have the experience that the Miami agents have, as this office has been open a little over a year. However, many of our guests will call the Phoenix office directly, as the Phoenix agents are often more pleasant to speak with.

[Don Haynes]

True, some have posted some of their itineraries already, but none have posted all of their itineraries yet. A month ago none had posted any. The process is beginning.

 

Last year NCL posted their Hawaiian itineraries first. Then Alaska came second. But their Baltic and Mediterrean were last, in late May as I recall.

 

Hopefully NCL will get all of their summer itineraries and all of the next year's itineraries out by early May this year.

 

There is much to decide, which ships to repostion, which ships need a drydock, will there be room in the ports for their ships, and the annual shore excurison contracts. Everything has to fall into place before posting them. Logistics, logistics. No one wants to start a cruise when the docks are overbooked, with two ships not being able to dock to unload or load passengers.

 

I did not mean to offend the Phoenix operations, I am sure they are doing their best. I am not an expert, even I cannot answer every question asked at this website, but customer service is expected to by many.

[electricron]

Thanks Don!

I appreciate your response. And I guess I will just hafta wait until this April or so to check on NCL's summer/fall 2008 offerings. Personally, I like booking far in advance, both to take advantage of early-bird deals and to get some "me time" on the calendar before someone else tries to claim it.

Just for the record, some cruise lines (like Carnival and Disney) are already selling that far in advance. So it seems that NCL is placing itself at a competitive disadvantage by holding off. Who knows, maybe someone from NCL will read this and start thinking about it! :rolleyes: Ah, hope springs eternal....

Thanks again,

Paul

 

How many ships and how far ahead are they? Let's take a gander at their itineraries.

 

Disney:

Magic until December 2008.

Wonder until December 2008.

Carnival:

Conquest until April 2009.

*Destiny until April 2008.

Freedom until April 2009.

Glory until April 2009.

Legend until April 2009.

Liberty until April 2009.

Miracle until April 2009.

Pride until April 2009.

*Spirit until May 2008.

*Triumph until April 2008.

Valor until April 2009.

Victory until April 2009.

*Celebration until April 2008.

Ectasy until April 2009.

Elation until April 2009.

*Fantasy until April 2008.

Fascination until April 2009.

Holiday until April 2009.

*Imagination until April 2008.

Inspiration until April 2009.

Paradise until April 2009.

Sensation until April 2008.

So not all Carnival ships have itineraries posted beyond April 2008*.

Celebrity:

*Celebrity Journey until April 2008.

*Celebrity Quest until April 2008.

*Celebrity Xpedition until April 2008.

*Century until April 2008.

*Constellation until April 2008.

*Galaxy until April 2008.

*Infinity until April 2008.

*Mercury until April 2008.

*Millennium until April 2008.

*Summit until April 2008.

**Zenith until April 2007.

None of Celebrity ships have itineraries posted beyond April 2008*.

Holland American:

*Amsterdam until November 2008.(No summer 2008 itineraries)

*Eurodam until December 2008.(No spring & summer 2008 itineraries)

*Maasdam until December 2008.(No spring & summer 2008 itineraries)

*Noordam until December 2008.(No summer 2008 itineraries)

*Oosterdam until December 2008.(No summer 2008 itineraries)

Prinsendam until November 2008.

*Rotterdam VI until December 2008.(No summer 2008 itineraries)

*Ryndam until December 2008.(No summer 2008 itineraries)

*Statendam until December 2008.(No summer 2008 itineraries)

*Veendam until December 2008.(No summer 2008 itineraries)

*Volendam until December 2008.(No summer 2008 itineraries)

*Westerdam until December 2008.(No summer 2008 itineraries)

*Zaandam until December 2008.(No summer 2008 itineraries)

*Zuiderdam until March 2008.

Only the Prinsendam has summer 2008 itineraries.

NCL:

**Norwegian Crown until October 2007.

*Norwegian Dawn until April 2008.

*Norwegian Dream until April 2008.

*Norwegian Gem until April 2008.

*Norwegian Jewel until April 2008.

*Norwegian Majesty until April 2008.

*Norwegian Pearl until April 2008.

*Norwegian Spirit until March 2008.

*Norwegian Star until April 2008.

*Norwegian Sun until April 2008.

**Norwegian Wind until April 2007.

*Pride of Aloha until April 2008.

*Pride of America until April 2008.

*Pride of Hawaii until April 2008.

None of NCL ships have itineraries posted beyond April 2008*.

Princess:

*Caribbean Princess until April 2008.

*Coral Princess until April 2008.

*Crown Princess until May 2008.

*Dawn Princess until April 2008.

*Diamond Princess until May 2008.

*Emerald Princess until April 2008.

*Golden Princess until April 2008.

*Grand Princess until April 2008.

*Island Princess until April 2008.

*Pacific Princess until April 2008.

**Regal Princess until August 2007.

*Royal Princess until April 2008.

*Sapphire Princess until May 2008.

*Sea Princess until April 2008.

*Star Princess until April 2008.

*Sun Princess until April 2008.

*Tahitian Princess until April 2008.

None of Princess ships have itineraries posted beyond May 2008*.

Royal Caribbean:

*Adventure of the Seas until April 2008.

*Brilliance of the Seas until April 2008.

*Empress of the Seas until April 2008.

*Enchantment of the Seas until April 2008.

*Explorer of the Seas until April 2008.

*Freedom of the Seas until April 2008.

*Grandeur of the Seas until April 2008.

*Jewel of the Seas until April 2008.

*Legend of the Seas until April 2008.

*Liberty of the Seas until April 2008.

*Majesty of the Seas until April 2008.

*Mariner of the Seas until April 2008.

*Monarch of the Seas until April 2008.

*Navigator of the Seas until April 2008.

*Radiance of the Seas until April 2008.

*Rhapsody of the Seas until April 2008.

*Serenade of the Seas until April 2008.

*Sovereign of the Seas until April 2008.

*Splendour of the Seas until April 2008.

*Vision of the Seas until April 2008.

*Voyager of the Seas until April 2008.

None of RCI ships have itineraries posted beyond April 2008*.

 

Looking at the list above, I see far more * than I do those without them.

Historically, NCL is usually the last to post the next summer's itineraries.

What's very strange, HAL has winter 2008 itineraries posted, October to December 2008, but not the summer season, May to September 2008, with the exception of one ship.

 

We're at the start of the process, and Carnival usually posts their itineraries first, because they are number 1 and usually gets the first pick on ports.

As the process continues, expect number 2 RCI get the second choice. ETC.